by Roni Adams
He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from touching her. “I told you, I'm staying. But you don't believe me."
Beth reached out her hand but stopped short of touching him. “No, I'm sorry, I don't. I think after a time, you'll take off again, and then what? I can't go through that again."
"Then we're back to square one—you don't trust me, and I have no way to prove myself to you."
Her tongue darted out to wet her lips and the action drew his attention.
"I did have an idea,” she said softly.
"What's that?” He was still focused on her mouth, thinking about all the delicious ways she could set him on fire with a kiss.
"Well, it's more than obvious that the chemistry we've always had is still there."
Tyler glanced down at his swollen crotch. “Uh, yeah."
Beth grinned and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I think instead of getting wrapped up in a relationship and talk about the future and all that, we should just go with what works and stop fighting it."
He frowned. “What are you talking about?"
She smiled an impish grin and glanced up from under her lashes. “I think we should enjoy the physical part of things and agree that that's all we have."
Tyler took a step back. “You want to have sex? That's it, just sex?"
Beth reached out towards him. “Don't you? A second ago, you wanted to toss me to the floor and jump me."
He narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, so?"
"Don't you see, Ty? If we enjoy each other right now, for however long it lasts, with no commitment on either side, then no one will get hurt if you decide to move on again."
"No one will get hurt? You don't think that sleeping together on a regular basis, and then ending it, isn't going to hurt?” Is she insane? Or was he insane for even arguing the point?
On the other hand, she was offering him the chance to get her back in his life. Maybe with her in his arms every night, he could convince her that he'd changed and was home for good. Sounded good, but something still didn't feel right. Why did it irk him so much that she was offering this type of relationship, settling for sex alone.
When Beth was determined, there was little that could stop her. She reached for him, unsnapping his jeans and drawing down his zipper before he even knew she had moved. Her small, but very sure hand was in his boxers, cradling him before he could say anything else. Tyler stepped closer as she played, stroked, and drove him crazy.
She grinned up. “I think we both want each other. It's not like we're strangers who just hooked up in a bar. Why keep tormenting ourselves and denying the pleasure we know we can give each other?"
She slid to her knees and covered him with her mouth. Tyler groaned and his eyes closed. He didn't know what was hotter, the feel of her mouth on him again, or the site of her kneeling, her blonde head bobbing up and down as she pleasured him. He moaned and leaned one hand against the wall for support as she expertly brought him to a point where he had to have more. “Beth,” he growled.
Unperturbed, she continued; the only sounds in the barn were his harsh breathing and her mouth working its heavenly magic on his swollen shaft. When it became too much, he reached down, but she refused to stop. He found himself sifting his fingers through her hair instead and letting her do exactly what she wanted.
Only when he shuddered and stiffened, his knees threatening to buckle, did she take her mouth off him. There must have been a rag lying nearby because he felt her cover him with a cloth as he exploded.
Gently, she wiped him and stood up. Tyler hugged her to him as he struggled to breathe normally. Beth's arms wrapped around his waist and his still bared erection pressed into her belly. She snuggled in closer.
Tyler drew a long, deep, steadying breath. “Maybe you have a good idea,” he reluctantly agreed.
She tipped her head back. “Oh? What did I possibly do to convince you of that?"
He laughed and dropped a kiss on her very sexy little mouth. “Does this new situation of ours have rules?"
She slowly stepped out of his arms. Tyler took the moment to quickly tuck himself back into his jeans and zip up. He then picked up the rag she'd used and tossed it into the waste basket.
"I think the first rule should be that we don't spend the whole night together."
"Sex, but no sleeping together? Why's that?"
"Waking up with each other every day would be great, but when it ended, we'd miss that. I think we should have as much sex as we want, but we don't move into each other's beds. That makes it too much like a relationship."
Tyler was still annoyed that she kept insisting it was going to end. But, at the same time, to keep her close, he'd have to go along with it, for now. “Okay, next rule?"
She plucked a stray horse hair out of the wall of the barn and flicked it to the ground. Why was she avoiding his eyes?
"The family doesn't need to know. It's no one's business but ours. No acting like we're a couple."
"It's not their business; I like that part.” He'd work on that last bit. “Now, I have a rule too."
"Okay, let's hear it."
"We may not be in a relationship that you think has a future, but neither of us is to date anyone else while we're sleeping together.” There was no way he was going to stand by and watch her with Cole.
She widened her eyes. “Of course not, that goes without saying."
"Yeah, well, I'm saying it.” He had no way of knowing if she'd been with anyone else while he was gone, but he'd be damned if he'd sit home while she was out with Cole or anyone else.
"Anything else?” she asked.
"Yeah.” He leered at her and wiggled his eyebrows. “When do we start?"
Her laughter filled the quiet barn. “Well, if we don't want the family to know what we're up to, we better not start tonight. How about tomorrow night, after all the celebrations?"
Tyler stepped close, sliding his hands around to cup her tiny rear end and pull her up against him. “We'll have a celebration of our own,” he whispered against her mouth.
Beth went up on tiptoe and wrapped her arms around his neck. “We won't even need mistletoe."
It wasn't the perfect Christmas gift, but it was damn close.
* * * *
Beth walked into the kitchen and immediately headed to the coffee maker. Around the table, the family was already reminiscing about years past, and she half listened as she poured an ample amount of flavored creamer into the steaming mug.
"Do you remember that Christmas when Daddy took all of us to New York City and we saw the Rockettes?” Susan sipped her steaming coffee. “We were all in the hotel suite and trying the high kicks like they did and...” She broke off laughing and glanced at Flo as her sisters joined in. “And Flo tried it, slipped and broke her leg. We spent the next six hours in the emergency room.” Susan grabbed her side as she gasped with laughter.
"It wasn't very funny at the time,” Flo muttered.
"I would have given anything to watch them legs of yours try and lift as high as those girls,” Sam said.
Flo swatted his shoulder. “We all wanted you to go but you wouldn't leave the ranch."
"I ain't never stepped foot off Texas soil, and I ain't about to."
"It ain't like it's going to poison you, old man.” Flo shook her head.
"Born here and I'll die here. That's it."
Beth chuckled under her breath at the banter.
"That's okay, Sam. I try not to leave here unless I have to myself,” Teddy agreed. “Besides, New York is full of elevators.” He shuddered dramatically, making them all laugh.
"You'll wrestle a bull to the ground, but one silver metal box that goes up and down sends you into fits,” Susan scoffed.
"We all have our fears.” Flo tried to be the peacemaker between the two as always.
"Some fears are just irrational,” Susan insisted.
Teddy shot her a look. “Some people are irrational."
Cord joined Beth at the counter
and picked up the coffee pot. He bent towards her and kissed her cheek. “Merry Christmas, little lady."
"Merry Christmas, Cord,” She smiled before moving to the table and sliding into a chair next to her sister.
"So, tell us, how were the animals last night?” Susan asked. Her blue eyes sparkled as if she had a secret.
Beth choked on the hot coffee. All she could think about last night was what she did to Tyler and the deal they'd made. She'd forgotten all about trying to hear the animals talk. Probably a real good thing they couldn't. “Uh, quiet as always. I guess they waited until I left."
Sara reached for the tray of pastries in the center of the table. “Did Tyler catch up to you?"
"Yeah, he found me in the barn.” The images in her head made her flush, and she only hoped her cheeks hadn't reddened and given her away.
"Good morning and a very Merry Christmas!” Chase Boyd joined them in the kitchen and reached for a mug of coffee. “Charli's grabbing a shower and said not to wait for her."
"Why don't we all head out to the great room and have our coffee there?” Flo opened a cupboard, pulled out a large tray and put the sugar, cream, and spoons on it.
Susan joined her at the counter and filled a coffee carafe with what was left in the pot and set another one on to brew. “We usually have a big brunch later after opening the presents,” she explained to Chase.
"It's nice to be here with all of you. Sometimes it gets a bit quiet with just Charli and me."
Beth frowned, thinking of last year. She'd been in rough shape at Christmas and hadn't even made it to the big holiday dinner before begging off and going back to bed. If Grant hadn't made her get up, she'd have likely slept right through to New Year's.
She blinked to get her mind off the past.
Cord lifted the coffee laden tray off the counter and headed out of the kitchen, joined by Chase, Susan, and Flo.
Buck stood up and helped Sara to her feet. “I hope Santa brought me a new back because I'm going to need one before this baby comes,” he teased.
His wife smacked his arm. “Why don't you try carrying the next one."
"The next one? How many are you two having?” Teddy asked.
"We've got lots of bedrooms to fill in that house of ours.” Buck pulled his wife close to his side and kissed her.
Teddy's eyes widened and he started to say something but Susan jammed him in the stomach with her elbow. “Oh, I'm so sorry did I bump into you?” she asked sweetly, and flounced from the room.
Beth looked around. “Where's Tyler?” He couldn't be sleeping in, could he?
"You'd better come look at this, Beth!” Susan hollered from the front of the house.
Beth picked up her pace down the hall towards the great room. Inside, Susan had opened the drapes that covered the large picture window. White powder covered the entire front yard. The branches in the small trees, the bushes, everything was coated with white. Stepping up to the window, she glanced out over their yard. If she didn't know for sure she was in Texas, Beth would have sworn she was looking at snow.
In the middle of the horseshoe shaped driveway sat a team of horses hooked to a wagon. Tyler sat in the driver's seat, the grin on his face a mile wide.
"The boy's nuts!” Teddy remarked. “He had to have been up all night doing this."
"He's damn lucky. It's supposed to be cold today, or all that would be melting as fast as he made it,” Sam muttered behind her.
"It's a white Christmas,” Beth whispered.
"Let's go,” Buck commanded, pulling his wife along behind him.
The family filed out onto the front porch with Beth following more slowly behind. She'd never had a white Christmas ... and Tyler had given it to her. She swallowed hard, desperately trying not to get emotional, but her heart swelled towards him and she couldn't help it. This had to have cost him a fortune not only in money, but time as well.
Ignoring the rest of the family, Tyler jumped down from the wagon and held his hand out to her. She stepped off the porch and bent down to pick up a handful of snow. “It feels so real.” Back in New York, the ski resort made snow all the time, but it was usually on top of some real snow. This was all manufactured and she was shocked it felt like the real thing.
"Where on earth did you get this?” she asked. She looked around and for the first time, saw the enormous machine off to the side.
"I couldn't do a horse drawn sleigh, so the wagon will have to do, but how about a ride?” She smiled up and he took her hand, leading her to the wagon. Not caring that she was still in her pajamas, Beth climbed up into the seat. Ty pulled a blanket from the back up and over her shoulders and another onto her lap. Snuggled in the warmth of the fleece and in the knowledge that Tyler had done something for her that no one else would ever have dreamed of doing, her heart swelled with warmth. She wished there was a way he could climb under the blanket with her.
She inhaled the brisk air and held onto the seat as he set the wagon in motion. “You were lucky we had this cold snap."
"That's for sure.” He urged the horses ahead and they rode around the yard in a circle. “Actually, I would still have been able to make the snow, but it would have melted quicker."
Beth was in shock. How did he do this? She studied the team of horses for the first time. “Wait, whose horses are these?"
Tyler smiled. “I have Chase to thank for those. The wagon and the horses are his. Since the day before yesterday, I've had them hidden in a barn that we don't use anymore over in the back forty so you wouldn't know they were there. He had them trucked up here for me.” He winked. “Pretty, aren't they?"
Beth couldn't do anything more than nod. The enormous Clydesdales were stunning. “Does he use them often?"
Tyler flipped the reins and clicked his tongue to the horses. “He bought them from the widow of a friend of his. He doesn't use them much, but once in a while, Charli drives them in the local parade."
Beth loved the way the wagon rolled along, the pitching and pulling as the horses found their rhythm. The cool air on her cheeks was refreshing and she smiled from ear to ear, unable to believe there was really snow in their yard on Christmas morning. She brushed back her hair and grinned up at the man next to her. “This is amazing, Ty."
They waved to the rest of the family as if they were in a parade themselves. Beth didn't remember the last time she felt this excited. First the agreement she and Tyler had come to last night and now this. What a difference a year made.
Her heart pounded thinking about being with Tyler later in the day. She wasn't going to let herself wonder about the future or if he'd be around. She was going to let today be wonderful and not think about anything else.
Several more times around the yard and Tyler pulled up to the front porch. “We'll ride around some more later, but I think we're holding everyone up from doing presents."
He jumped down and scooted around to her side of the wagon. Reaching up, he gloried in the smile shining in Beth's beautiful eyes as he let her fall into his arms and settled her on her feet. Knowing they were being watched from the house, he didn't pull her into his arms and kiss her, but hoped the look in his eyes told her he wanted to.
His back shielding her from view, Tyler cupped her jaw and whispered, “I couldn't sleep last night, thinking about what you did to me in the barn and what we talked about."
Beth's hand lifted to rest on his forearm. “Me either."
"Do you think, later this afternoon, we could slip away unnoticed and make sure everything is okay over at the clinic?” he suggested with an innocent raise of his brow.
"Sounds good to me.” She leaned up and brushed a kiss across his cheek. “Thank you for the snow—this is the best gift I've ever received."
A half-hour later, paper scattered the floor of the great room. Susan dug under the tree for the last of the gifts. Emerging with a small package, she read the tag. “Tyler's” She shook it and then tossed the box across the room where he sat in the leather recliner
.
"Hey, what if it's breakable?” He caught it easily enough, but grimaced at the brunette who was so casual with his gifts.
She wiggled her eyebrows. “I know what's in it and it's not."
With a half smile, he checked the tag. From Beth. He glanced up to catch her eye across the room. She returned his stare with a smile that made him wish this part of the day was over so it could be just the two of them celebrating.
Quickly unwrapping the small box, Tyler lifted off the cover and pushed aside the tissue paper. Unbelievable! A rare belt buckle, the very one he'd been searching for, shown back. Not only had Beth remembered, she'd actually been able to find it. He caught Beth smiling at him. “Wow, I can't believe you found this!"
"I saw it in this little shop and couldn't believe it was the same one you'd been trying to find."
Tyler picked up the metal clasp and traced the pattern on the silver buckle. He turned it over to study the back. “It's barely even worn."
"I know, isn't it weird? I mean, there it was, right in this antique shop window. I'm not even sure the guy knew what he had."
Tyler stood up and crossed the room to brush a kiss on her cheek. “Thanks so much."
She laughed. “Well, it's no snow storm in Texas, but it was the best I could do."
A commotion at the door had them all turning their heads. Sam tugged a huge package through the double doors. “This is for Sara,” he grunted and pulled it to rest in front of her.
Knowing what it was, Tyler sat on the cushioned arm of Beth's chair to watch the show.
The pregnant woman untied a large bow and let the paper fall off the gift. “Oh,” Sara cried and pressed her hands to her mouth.
Buck crossed the room. He sat on the arm of the couch next to his wife and touched the wood of the old cradle where names were carved on the headboard.
"All the Weston boys were rocked in this cradle.” Sam blew his nose with a red and white hanky as Cord patted his shoulder.
"You did a great job, Sam. It's like brand new.” Their beloved housekeeper wiped her eyes with a tissue she'd pulled from her sleeve.